: “Education 2030: Sustainability, Ensuring High Quality Teacher Education Institution that

Promote Equity”
(Citing the name of VIPs, acknowledgement of participants)

I am privileged to be invited to deliver a message on this very important event. The

theme for today’s activity is well chosen: “Education 2030: Sustainability, Ensuring High
Quality Teacher Education Institution that Promote Equity”. We are currently facing
unprecedented challenges – social, economic and environmental – driven by accelerating
globalization and a faster rate of technological developments. At the same time, those forces
are providing us with myriad new opportunities for educational advancement. The future is
uncertain and we cannot predict it; but we need to be open and ready for it. The children who
have entered education in 2019 will be young adults in 2030. Thus, Educational Institutions must
prepare them for jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not yet been
invented, to solve problems that have not yet been anticipated. It will be a shared responsibility
for the Commission and other educational sectors to seize opportunities and find solutions.
To navigate through such uncertainties, I will be sharing with you some insights that may
aid on Sustaining Provision of Quality Higher Education to our future learners while promoting
equity on the other hand.
First, we must develop such teaching methods that focus on the learner not on teacher,
and concentrate on inculcating skills, personality development, improving confidence, and
promoting spirit of creativeness. Learner-centered education is a model wherein students are
placed at the core of the learning process. Here, students’ needs, opinions, backgrounds and
goals are acknowledged and incorporated within the learning environment. In this model,
teachers are guided by what is best for the students when helping them to learn or make
decisions. It prepares the students with agency and a sense of purpose, and the competencies
they need for their professional careers.
Second, is to develop attractive, preferred, and simulant educational
institution/programs, that hones talent, inculcates skills, and nurtures generation of ambitious
future adults who have the spirit of facing challenges, competitiveness, and loves work, and
production. We must focus on enforcing educational programs that caters to develop their
curiosity, imagination, resilience and self -regulation; promotes respect and appreciation to
ideas, perspectives and values of others; and helps them to cope with failure and rejection, and
to move forward in the face of adversity.
Lastly, comprehensive education for persons with disabilities, and providing appropriate
support to all its categories. We must promote more educational opportunities and appropriate
services and support, for students with disabilities who desires to pursue higher education and
we must encourage our faculty to participate on trainings that may enhance their pedagogical
skills, which may be particularly useful in working with students with disabilities.
To prepare for 2030, we must think creatively, develop new processes and methods, new
ways of thinking and teaching. Increasingly, innovation springs not from individuals thinking and
working alone, but through cooperation and collaboration with others to draw on existing
knowledge to create new knowledge, and we must apply this new knowledge in sustaining and
promoting Quality Higher Education. However, defining Quality Education is a never ending
process, it is more about continuous improvement, that something all of us in Higher Education
should endeavor to achieve in all we do. Thank you and a pleasant morning to all!

Hurdling the Challenges of Learner-Centered Teaching

(Citing the name of VIPs, acknowledgement of participants)

Let me begin by welcoming all of you to the (title of the activity). It is a great honor for
me to be invited and to speak at this very important activity in front of this crowd of educators.
Your presence and participation implies your willingness to strive for professional growth and
pedagogical advancement. Indeed, it is about time for our educators to get out of their
“cocoons”, and venture into something more lucrative, more daring and more complex. Today’s
theme is “Hurdling the Challenges of Learner-Centered Education”. Before the proceedings of
this activity let’s understand – Learner-Centered Education? Learner-centered Education is a
model wherein students are placed at the core of the learning process. Here, students’ needs,
opinions, backgrounds and goals are acknowledged and incorporated within the learning
environment. In this model, teachers are guided by what is best for the students when helping
them to learn or make decisions.
The concept of learner -centered class derives from several models. It first evolves out of
the constructivist learning theory which asserts that knowledge is constructed uniquely and
individually in multiple ways. It also derives from the experiential model in which teaching is seen
as transformation of existing knowledge and the active learning model which suggests that all
learning activities involve some kind of experience or some kind of dialogue such as dialogue
with self and dialogue with others.
On the basis of the modes from which it derives, learner -centeredness class entails these
characteristics:
 1. The focus is on active learning, using an integrated approach to connect new learning to
prior learning, stimulating interest and relevance, providing learner’s choice and control,
adapting to individual developmental differences, and providing a caring and supportive
learning environment.

2. Knowledge is constructed through authentic learning. It is learnt in real context or the

context in which it was first generated. In other words, it links school learning
experiences to real world situations.

3. Learners are active participants in the learning process rather than passive recipients.
They have opportunities and increased responsibilities to identify and self-direct their
own learning needs, locate learning resources, and construct their own knowledge based
on those needs.

4. Class activities and project work are arranged differently to allow learners a variety of
choices to select according to the needs of each student. This results from the notion
that students have different capabilities and preferences for learning modes and
strategies.

5. The learning environment, where learning may take place anywhere, at any time, in
many forms and by diverse means, is created. Such a learning environment enables
students to be responsible for and involved in their education. As such, students are
provided with substantive out-of-classroom activities that increase students’ learning in
a number of dimensions.

6. Students are motivated more intrinsically (self-motivation) than extrinsically (external

motivation). For example, they write or color their assignment because they take pride
in their work not because they want people to admire or approve of it.

However, there arises much confusion and mistrust of the pedagogical movement behind the
Lerner-Centered Model. The difficulties that may arise from implementing this innovative
model includes:
Some teachers resist changing their old beliefs and usual teaching practices. Such resistance
may occur from the deeply rooted “righteous guru” or “imparter of knowledge” image fixed in
their head. These teachers view themselves as the authorities whose mission is to teach, direct,
instruct, and control students. Therefore, they may fear doing things differently; they may see
the change as a threat to their status and profession. Some are not willing to implement the
approach, for they perceive that the way they teach is already the best and thus there is no need
to change. Since these teachers opt to use only one way or method that they feel works best,
they are not open to new ideas or other possibilities. Some teachers are in a rush to implement
the approach without a thorough understanding of the principles and a careful plan of teaching.
These teachers are too eager to make changes and do not take into consideration the culture
and realities of their classroom situation. While others lack the knowledge and skills to
incorporate technology into their own teaching. Unfortunately, most of our educators know
very little about computers and are not interested in learning; while others may try to seek new
uses of technology in the classroom but do not have sufficient technical support. These teachers
see the value of technology but they feel frustrated because they are not trained to use these
resources in the classroom setting.
It may be the case that while many teachers are personally committed to serving
students’ needs, the structure of their organization and policies may not accommodate or, in
some cases, hinder the desire to be more learners-centred. Some students reject the approach
because they want evidence that they are being taught something. These students, like some
teachers cling to the perception that knowledge must be transferred and thus wait for teachers
to spoon-feed them.
Learner-centered class is a model in which students are the focus of the learning process.
This model however, does not mean that teachers will step aside, letting students alone run
everything. Rather, it means that teachers, when planning their teaching, must take into
consideration the views and needs of students and run the classroom to the benefits of students.
It also means that teachers would manage their teaching in the way that makes students feel
included, value the educational process, and take control of their own learning.
Implementing a learner-centred class is a true challenge but it has proved to be successful
in the contemporary era. The process of incorporating it into our education system will demand
hard work and effort from educators and learners alike. The key to the success of
implementation requires, on the teacher’s part, a careful study and a thorough comprehension
of the model’s principles, as well as a genuine recognition of its value. Through the new
developments in the education, teachers have changed their old beliefs and practices; they have
set the new goals and standards, and plan their teaching, taking into account what is best for
students. In doing so, teachers have also worked on their self and professional development. On
the learner’s part, likewise, students who are guided by teachers have adopted a new conception
of the learning process. They have now realized that if they are to keep pace with the rapidly
changing world, and to compete in the global market place that has a growing demand for
educated workers with skills in critical thinking, problem solving and decision making, they must
change their longtime practice from passive to active learners. They have understood that they
have to empower themselves, gain control over their learning, and become autonomous
learners. Finally, it is apparent that teachers and students working in collaboration have
gradually made the learning environment more productive and worthwhile. Thus, learner –
centered class is not a myth but a concrete development in education.
 I hope you have learned something over the course of this activity and I look forward to
hearing how you are meeting this challenges. Thank you for listening and a pleasant morning to
all!